NVIDIA made the latest variant of the GeForce GTX 460, the GeForce GTX 460 SE. The GTX 460 SE is a new variant that is designed to give a good price-performance level without compromising on memory amount or bandwidth. It retains 1 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 256-bit wide memory interface of the GTX 460 1 GB variant, but has a lower CUDA core count of 288. Clock speeds are slightly lower, too. While the core, CUDA cores, and memory are clocked at 675/1350/3600 MHz on the 1 GB and 768 MB variants, for the GTX 460 SE, it's 650/1300/3400 MHz. Expect the GTX 460 SE to be priced slightly lower than the GTX 460 768 MB.

NVIDIA offers two variants of the GeForce GTX 460, one with 768 MB of GDDR5 memory and one with 1 GB. Due to the GPU architecture this change in memory size not only affects the actual memory but also other performance relevant figures. The reduction of memory size is achieved by installing less memory chips on the card which reduces the bus width of the GPU from 256-bit to 192-bit on the 768 MB version. Since the ROPs are coupled to the memory interface this also results in less ROP units.

Seems like they are taking a page from ATi's book with the naming and making a Sucky Edition.

Should actually be a decent card though if priced right, and I think I would take this over a 768MB variety if I was looking to play modern games, because the 768MB was proving to be a problem in some modern games at 1080p+ resolutions.(Dirt2 and Metro2033 both go beyond the 768MB memory and start to stutter, for example). Though I was hoping they would just release a GTX460 1.5GB version.

Yeah, that is my guess as well. I'd like to see the price on this though, because in the past slightly crippled cards that were released as a way to get rid of chips that didn't make the grade were some of the best valued cards around. GTX260, 8800GT/9800GT, 8800GS/9600GSO, 8800GTS 320/640MB all crippled cards that were amazing values.

Nvidia bring us the fully unlocked dual GF104 card we have been waiting for 'GTX590'

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It is supposed to perform just under the GTX460 768MB, so I'd guess it is meant to compete directly with the HD5770...I mean HD6770.

But I'm guessing performance will be closer to the GTX460 768MB, especially in newer DX11 games at higher resolutions as I said. So it seems they are filling a spot that doesn't really have a card anymore since the HD5830 has been EOL'd. Smart if it is priced right. If the prices are right at H5770 prices, or ever so slightly higher this card will be a great value.

won't it make manufacturing easier if they only have to implement a handicapped core instead of different PCB(memory) layouts of the 768mb and 1gb version. So if they phase out the 768mb version then they'd only need 1 assembly line so to speak.

won't it make manufacturing easier if they only have to implement a handicapped core instead of different PCB(memory) layouts of the 768mb and 1gb version. So if they phase out the 768mb version then they'd only need 1 assembly line so to speak.

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The PCB on the 768MB version was the same as the 1GB version, it just was missing two memory chips.